


The Roommate

by TripUpStairs



Series: Through Another's Eyes [1]
Category: Glee
Genre: Drama, F/F, F/M, Friendship, Original Character(s), POV Original Character, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-18
Updated: 2012-12-18
Packaged: 2017-11-21 10:47:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,629
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/596850
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TripUpStairs/pseuds/TripUpStairs
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The story of Rachel and Quinn through the eyes of Rachel's freshman year roommate at NYADA.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Roommate

**Author's Note:**

> Canon up to the end of Season 3. This story is about Rachel and Quinn through a third party's eyes. So while this is through the roommate's POV, this story is ultimately not about her, but about Faberry.
> 
> The roommate in the title is so named because it can either be Rachel or Sydney (the OC) that you can consider as the roommate.
> 
> A huge thanks to thoughtsinorange as always for letting me annoy her and providing feedback with whatever I write.

Move in day.

_Finally._

She's excited. And nervous. But what freshman isn't?

Denver might be a sizeable city in its own right, but New York is a whole new world. And this is Sydney's first time seeing it. They didn't have the money to visit when she was first applying to schools, but her mother made sure to save up for moving in. Even her flighty brother Cameron stuck around long enough to help. It's a good thing too. She and her mother might be able to unload everything, but she's sure it would take much longer to finish.

The curb outside of her dorm is thankfully blocked off. Someone in a NYADA T-shirt hands her mother a parking pass to put in the windshield of the car while they unload. She hardly pays attention. She steps out of the car and takes it all in.

She made it. She's in New York City. All the naysayers can go fuck themselves.

She grabs a suitcase, puts the microwave under her other arm, and treks inside. Cameron follows her with plastic crates full of random items. Her mother stays behind to finish unloading.

She checks in with the RA at the dorm office, getting her key and the form to markup the room for any preexisting damage. She's on the fifth floor, an all girls floor. Thankfully, there are a couple of elevators, and considering the lateness in the day, most of the other residents (all freshman) have already moved in. Her brother follows dutifully behind, for once being respectable. Not that she really cares either way.

She turns one direction and then another after realizing the room numbers were going the wrong way. Other students pop in and out of their rooms, greeting each other and finishing up with their unpacking. Sydney's room is at the very end of the hall. She smiles at everyone she passes, wondering how many of these girls she's going to hate by the end of the semester. She just hopes her roommate isn't too difficult or obnoxious. It's hard to get a read on someone when all you've done is exchange casual emails and Facebook messages in order to do the cursory introduction and determine who is bringing what. The door to her room, 501, is already open. She slides in, finding her roommate on her phone, pacing worriedly from one end of the room to the other. Some things are unpacked, while other parts still sit in crates and containers on her roommate's side.

Rachel Berry is much more petite than she imagined. All of their communications started and ended with extremely long messages from Rachel. She kind of imagined her roommate to be a big person with a big personality. Turns out one of those assumptions is wrong.

"You don't need to be lifting any of those heavy items tomorrow. Are you sure you and your mother can handle it? I know my dads will be happy enough to assist. It is no problem for them to delay going back home for another day, and you know I would be there to help if we didn't have orientation tomorrow." Rachel frowns into the phone, her brow furrowing. She looks up then, and her eyes grow wide. "I have to go. My roommate just got here, but this conversation is not over. I'll call you back in a moment."

Rachel hangs up and tosses her phone onto her mattress. A huge smile makes its way across her face. "Hi! You must be Sydney!"

"Yep. That's me," Sydney says, pulling her suitcase over to her bed and dropping the microwave on her mattress.

"Great! I'm so pleased to finally meet you in person!"

"Yeah. It's nice." Sydney decides right then that she likes Rachel—boisterous personality, big smile, and all—just fine. She's  _sincere._  And that's more than Sydney can say about most of her peers back home. "This is my brother Cameron. He decided to be a good sibling for once and help me move."

She gestures toward him only to roll her eyes when she realizes he is openly checking out Rachel. Cameron is at least decent enough to offer a handshake.

"Do you guys need any help moving things in?" Rachel asks.

Sydney shakes her head. "We're fine if you want to focus on your stuff. We'll head on down to get another load."

"Alright. My dads went to pick up some dinner. I know they would be willing to get some for you and your family too. Would you like me to call them?"

"No, we're fine. Thanks," Sydney says, leading Cameron out the door.

They're quiet until they get on the elevator, at which point Cameron says, "You didn't tell me your roommate was hot."

"Don't be a dick," Sydney says. "She's nice. And you probably have like 50 STDs."

"No, I only have—"

"Jesus Cam, I don't want to know."

They grab another load, and head back up. Rachel's back on the phone when they arrive, her voice edged with concern. "Make sure you take some ibuprofen before you start moving, and if you get tired, it's okay to stop and—"

Rachel clamps her mouth shut, and Sydney can just hear the faint sounds of a feminine voice coming through the speaker. Rachel's features soften, and she bites her lower lip before speaking up again. "Okay. I promise if you promise to do the same. I know you're strong and almost 100% again, but just be careful please."

Then Rachel nods her head, smiling. "Alright. Bye Quinn."

It's the first time Sydney hears the name Quinn, and she doesn't think anything of it at the time.

* * *

The first week of classes is exhausting. There's so much to do—clubs, student union events, her first days at the library for her work-study (it's the only way she can even begin to afford living here), getting used to being in New York. That doesn't even count classes and the work that her professors are already piling up. The musical theater students might get all the press, but NYADA certainly does not slack on its playwriting majors. By the time Friday afternoon comes around, all Sydney wants to do is kick back and smoke a joint. She's got enough of a feel of Rachel's personality that she knows that Rachel would never allow her to light up in their room. Luckily, she's made friends with another playwriting major who lives on her floor that seems to enjoy the same occasional leisure pursuit. First, she has to swing by her room to drop off her books.

Sydney finds Rachel inside their room propped up on her bed and talking into her laptop. She plays with her hair, staring at the screen with hooded eyes. She wears a small smile—one that looks like it's been comfortably resting on her face for however long the conversation has gone on. Rachel hasn't mentioned a boyfriend, but Sydney has seen the picture of her wrapped up in the arms of a guy that seems to have two feet on her. By her mannerisms, Sydney figures she's probably on Skype or some other videochat program with him.

She's a little surprised when it's a female voice that comes out of the speakers. "I think my favorite is going to be my freshman seminar. It's really refreshing to be able to actually discuss with other students and not just be talked at."

"Why do I feel like that's a dig at me?" Rachel says, pouting. Sydney does a double take. Yep—she's pouting. Rachel then seems to finally notice her presence. "Oh, just one second Quinn. I'm sorry Sydney. Is this going to bother you?"

"Nah. I'm getting ready to hang out with some other playwriting majors."

"Okay. Oh—would you like to meet my friend Quinn? She goes to Yale."

"Uh… Sure," is the only thing Sydney can see in the face of Rachel's enthusiasm.

Rachel turns the laptop and Sydney immediately recognizes the girl on the other end from some of Rachel's framed pictures.

Even in the grainy video she's…very pretty.

"Hi," Quinn says shortly.

But definitely not very warm or friendly.

"Hey."

Not that Sydney is much better either.

"You two are awful at this," Rachel says matter-of-factly. "Sydney, this is my… _friend_ , Quinn. Quinn, meet my roommate Sydney. Be nice."

Quinn half-smiles and rolls her eyes benevolently. "Sorry. Hi Sydney. I'm Quinn. Rachel and I attended high school together."

"Quinn's at Yale," Rachel says, a proud smile on her face.

Sydney is duly impressed. "It's nice to meet you. I'm heading out, Rachel."

"Have fun," Rachel says vaguely. "Oh, Quinn! I didn't tell you about…" It's the first time Sydney feels as if she doesn't have Rachel's undivided attention during a conversation.

* * *

"Hang on, hang on—kids would actually throw slushies into each other's faces?" Sydney says through a mouth full of burger. Rachel makes a face, and Sydney swallows. "Sorry. How did the administration let that go on?"

"I don't really know. I figure it had something to do with Coach Sylvester…"

"What a flipping Nazi! And your friend Quinn? She was a cheerleader?"

"Yes. Head cheerleader our sophomore year."

"That's pretty impressive isn't it? But you still got 'slushied?'"

"Quinn and I…we weren't really friends at the beginning," Rachel says. She's looking toward Sydney, but not at her—her eyes glazed and distant. "It took us a long time to get to where we are now. Before we got to this point, however, she always believed in me. Even when I didn't believe in me."

"It's good to have a friend like that."

"Yes, yes it is. And Quinn didn't exactly have the easiest time in high school either…" Rachel leaves the sentence hanging, and Sydney is tempted to press the issue. She's curious. Who wouldn't be? But something about the heaviness in Rachel's eyes keeps her from asking for more.

They leave the cafeteria and head back to the dorm. Sydney grabs her shower caddy and takes off to the hall bathroom, leaving Rachel with her textbooks. She hasn't quite gotten used to the communal bathroom, but at least they're cleaned like twice a day. After a quick, scalding shower, burning away the day, she makes her way back to her room.

"Hey Quinn." Rachel's voice comes soft and broken through the crack in the door. Something in her tone gives Sydney pause so she waits, just outside the door, not caring about any looks she may be earning from her hallmates.

"No, everything's fine," Rachel says. Sydney has a hard time believing it with the hitch in Rachel's breath.

Quinn apparently does too. "No, really. I'm okay," Rachel says, stressing out the words. "I was—well can I… Can I come visit you this weekend?"

"Great!" Rachel's voice comes a second later.

There's another pause.

"No, there's no particular reason," Rachel says. It feels like a lie. "This just seems like a good weekend, and I miss you."

* * *

Sure enough, Rachel's gone the entire weekend. Sydney celebrates her freedom on Friday night by smoking a couple of joints in her room. She respects Rachel though, so she makes such to keep the window open to help let the smell air out. She invites a couple of friends, and someone brings alcohol. She's pretty sure they spend the whole night talking in circles about Miller, Stoppard, and Albee to name a few playwrights, but she's pretty sure there was also plenty of discussion of stuff that means absolutely nothing and everything too. The next morning she wakes to find herself surrounded by boxes of pizza and spooning Glenn from her Shakespeare class. Anna from down the hall happens to be the one to blame for the roughly dozen pizzas. Sydney is just glad it's not on her credit card. She's got enough money problems as is, and her work-study with the library pays nominally.

She kicks everyone out. She's nice about it of course, but she really wants to take a shower and then curl up in bed and watch TV. Possibly for the whole day.

When she comes back, hair cold and wet around her shoulders, she spends five minutes looking for the remote (because once she gets back in bed, she swears she's not going to get back out). She finally finds it on Rachel's desk, and gets distracted by the pink notebook flipped open and halfway under one of her textbooks. Sydney knows she shouldn't read it. It's obviously private, yet she can't help but let her eyes skim over the first few visible sentences.

 _Finn called today. He seems well, and it does make me happy to see him content. I do want what is best for him, but now—the fact that I nearly married him? It's hard to believe. I clung to him, and I had hoped he was the answer to_ _ everything _ _. Classes are hard, and my dance professor is—to put it nicely, not very nice—but I wouldn't change it for anything. Quinn tells me I'm meant for this. She's told me that all along, and I wish I had listened to her sooner._

Well then.

Finn is no doubt the tall guy from the picture. All Sydney knows is that Rachel has never mentioned this Finn to her, but Quinn is a constant presence.

* * *

Rachel asks if Quinn can come visit the last weekend of September. Sydney of course doesn't have a problem with it.

Rachel is breathless with excitement the day before, talking about everything they can do and everything she wants to show Quinn. Sydney is finally about to fall asleep when Rachel sits straight up in bed, talking a mile a minute. "Where is she going to sleep? How did I not consider this element of Quinn's visit until now? Quinn's roommate had a futon that she was gracious enough to let me use. We don't have one. I don't even have a sleeping bag. Sydney, do you have a sleeping bag? Quinn will of course take my bed, and I will take floor. I could go out and purchase a sleeping bag before I meet her at Grand Central tomorrow, or maybe even an air mattress. Or what if—"

"Rachel," Sydney groans. "It's hardly a big deal. Just share your bed."

"But I have a single."

"Then cuddle or something. She's like your best friend. I don't see what the problem is. Everyone does it."

"Everyone? Oh, could you provide me some examples? It would be good to know—"

"Rachel," Sydney cuts in, "go to sleep."

The next day, Sydney has class and then work in the library so it's after 7:00 p.m. when she gets home. With her busy day, she had almost forgotten Quinn was coming for the weekend. But the memory of Rachel's excitement and keeping her awake the night before is still very fresh.

She walks in the door to find Rachel rambling about classes, and Quinn listening with a warm smile. If possible, Quinn is even prettier in person than she is on a photograph or on Skype.

"Hi Sydney! How was your day?" Rachel says with her typical energy. She then gestures to Quinn without giving her a chance to respond. "You know Quinn, though this indeed is your first physical meeting."

Quinn's eyes flick to her, her gaze guarded. It's a stark change to the warmth she previously exuded. But Sydney stares right back with a friendly smile. It's hard to think of Quinn as closed off considering what she knows of Rachel's interactions with her. Soon enough, Quinn gives her a slight smile of her own, and then, just like that, everything is okay.

Quinn's not bad, Sydney thinks. She knows how to recognize someone with demons. She's seen it in the mirror, seen it in her father, but something in the set of Quinn's shoulders makes Sydney wary.

That night, Sydney dreams of deadbeat fathers, always working mothers, and brothers half-a-world away. She dreams of a crushing weight against her chest, and looking down to see she's drowning in a paper sea of loans. She wakes early. Restless. Her eyes fall on Rachel's bed across the room.

She thinks Rachel and Quinn are all kinds of adorable curled up together and completely comfortable with each other. She thinks of good things, true things, and manages to fall back asleep.

* * *

Sydney walks into the dorm Thursday evening in the middle of October to find Rachel kissing a boy. He's attractive, dark-haired and muscular. He's not tall Finn from the picture. Sydney's a little jealous, though. The most physical intimacy she's had since coming to New York was a drunken makeout session with a douchebag majoring in directing. Rachel giggles at her when she walks in, and the guy smirks.

"Try to keep your pants on. I have a midterm tomorrow," Sydney says.

"We're just watching a movie," Rachel says.

"Right," Sydney deadpans. But there is something playing across Rachel's laptop at the edge of the bed.

"It's not going to bother you is it?" Rachel says.

"Nah. And I'll go to the library if it does," Sydney says. Then she smirks, "Do we need to start using the hair tie rule?" Rachel looks nervous then, casting an uncomfortable glance to the guy so Sydney backtracks. "I mean, the way I'm bringing them home…"

The tension dissolves and Rachel laughs. Sydney now thinks the guy's smirk is annoying, but she settles at her desk, determined not to get involved.

Rachel's phone rings. Sydney is familiar enough with that ringtone to know it's from Quinn. She unabashedly watches Rachel hold onto the phone and stare at the screen. Rachel breathes deeply and then silences it.

* * *

Quinn comes back to New York over Halloween, and they all go to a huge party hosted by a group of seniors at a rooftop apartment.

About halfway through, Sydney drags a boy dressed as Captain America outside and kisses him in her dreadfully unoriginal Katniss getup. She knows him from her modern playwrights' class, but he's drunk to the point of oblivion so she lets him stumble off, scowling at his back. She turns to go back inside, only to run into Quinn.

Quinn's dressed as some sort of gothic punk, her hair dyed temporarily into a shock of pink. Sydney never thought she would see pink hair honestly work for anyone, but it's flattering on Quinn.

"How do you make that work? God, you must get all the boys," Sydney says, unable to bottle the words back in with the alcohol she drank.

Quinn laughs. "I actually went through a phase. I was a pro at the punk thing for awhile."

"You? No fucking way."

"I know. Strange right? Last year was…interesting. My whole high school experience was."

Sydney doesn't press the obvious issue of what Quinn's high school experience actually was. She doesn't feel like it's her place to ask. Instead she says, "You would have fit right in at my high school. We had a nice little punk crowd. They were into some hard drugs though."

Quinn arches an eyebrow. "Rachel says you smoke pot."

"She knows? I thought I did I good job keeping it under wraps."

"Anna from down the hall likes to gossip apparently."

"Ah. Of course." Anna's a great friend, but she can't keep a secret for her life. Sydney's not angry or agitated though; pot smoking is hardly a serious secret in college.

They're quiet, watching the party rage on inside without them. Rachel is dancing with a group of friends, and that guy she's sort of, kind of been seeing is there with her.

"Thanks for being a good friend to her," Quinn says quietly after a moment.

Sydney shrugs. "Rachel's cool. It's not a big deal."

Quinn remains impassive, staring inside. "It kind of is."

"I'm happy to be her friend," Sydney says. She means it.

* * *

A week before Thanksgiving break, Rachel visits Quinn in New Haven. Sydney smokes, does some class work, and before she knows it, it's Sunday night. She's on Gchat with a friend from high school when Rachel comes in, sets her weekend bag down, and is quiet.

That's weird. She expects Rachel to give her a blow-by-blow of everything her and Quinn did at this point.

"How was you weekend?" Sydney prompts. She sends a goodbye message to her friend and closes her laptop lid to give Rachel her attention.

Rachel takes a moment to respond. "Quinn's been dating people."

"You've been hanging out with what's-his-face," Sydney says, unsure of what Rachel is trying to get at.

"She's been seeing people."

"Like a lot of people? Is that what's bothering you?" Sydney is hyperaware of saying "people," and not "guys."

"No. Just a couple."

"Then what's the problem?"

"I-I don't know."

"Was she trying to keep it a secret?" Sydney is confused at this point.

"No. It just came up in casual conversation. She says they're nothing serious. I just wasn't expecting to hear it."

"Are you… Rachel, are you jealous?"

" _No_ ," Rachel says quickly. "Quinn's allowed to date whatever girl she wants."

"Quinn—Quinn's  _gay_?" Okay, so she might have halfway been expecting it after Rachel's use of 'people,' but it's still surprising.

" _Oh_! Oh I wasn't supposed to—"

"It's okay. It's no big deal. I won't tell anyone," Sydney says hurriedly.

They're quiet for a moment. Sydney fidgets, unsure of what else to say. From what she knows of Quinn, Sydney thinks Quinn no doubt guards her sexuality closely. Rachel no doubt feels guilty for blurting it out.

"She told me this summer right before we left for school," Rachel says. "You have to understand how special it was that Quinn shared something so close and personal to herself with me. It was an interesting revelation though. Certainly because it raised the number of gay, lesbian, or bisexual members of our former glee club to a number that really played with stereotypes. And I suppose if you include me in that number—because I don't identify with any label, you see—it really pushes it.

"Oh."

"I'm not freaking you out am I?" Rachel says.

"No," Sydney says. "It's totally cool. It's just a lot to take in."

"That's how I felt today when I found out about Quinn dating a couple of girls. I just want what's best for her. Quinn's beautiful right? At Yale, Quinn's finally free of all the bigotry and close-mindedness of Lima. I don't want any of those girls taking advantage of her."

Interesting revelations aside, Sydney can't help but smirk at Rachel's protectiveness. "Look, if any of those girls Quinn dates messes with her, we'll go after them. I know some pretty vicious people in the playwriting department that can help."

* * *

Cameron visits the weekend before finals starts. It just so happens to be a weekend Quinn is visiting too. Sydney only has two final exams, her other classes have term papers due. She was extremely proud of herself for getting one of the papers done before finals start. The fact that Cameron is in town after finishing the first paper is an extra bonus.

Rachel and Quinn are studying in the common room down the hall, and Sydney is thinking about starting her second term paper, when he shows up at her door late Saturday afternoon. When she answers—dragging herself away from the Internet—he holds up a brown paper bag.

"Brought you a gift," he says, smirking.

"How'd you get in?"

"Followed in some students with a pass. It was easy."

"And they didn't think you were homeless?"

"Is this the kind of thanks I get? I'll just take it back," Cameron says pulling the bag away.

"Sorry," Sydney says, rolling her eyes. "Come in before my RA reports you or calls the cops or something."

He trudges in, removing his large, trekking backpack with a sigh. He tosses her the paper bag, and Sydney opens it just to make sure he's not being a complete ass. She nods her thanks when she confirms the contents, and then secures the stash of marijuana in her closet.

"Thanks. I was running low, and I'd prefer not to have to bum it off some of my friends."

"No problem."

"How long are you in town?"

"Just till tomorrow. I'm going to go visit mom for the holidays so I'll see you there whenever you can be bothered to come home. You owe me a race too. Last year's victory was just a fluke. Little girls shouldn't be snowboarding with men."

Sydney laughs, knowing he's just teasing. "Is that how you're going to goad me into racing you again? I'm sorry, but I did beat you fair and square. It's not my problem that your friends gave you shit for it."

Cameron looks as if he's about to retort when the door opens. Rachel comes in first, followed by Quinn. Sydney immediately shoots Cameron a glare, hoping he behaves himself, as Rachel starts talking.

"Hey Sydney! And this is your brother right? You didn't tell me he was going to be visiting."

"I didn't know. You know how I told you how he backpacks around the world working weird jobs? I rarely know where he is, and he surprised me this time around."

"A pleasant surprise I hope?" Rachel says. "It's Cameron, correct? I remember you from move in day."

"Yes," Cameron says, his voice pitched lower than normal. Sydney just barely resists rolling her eyes as he walks forward, offering Rachel a handshake. "I, of course, remember you Rachel."

Rachel meets her eyes as Cameron pulls away, and this time Sydney does roll her eyes, which makes Rachel giggle.

Cameron's attention has moved fully onto Quinn with his efforts at charm in full force. "I know for certain we have never met because I would have never forgotten your face. I'm Cameron, Sydney's brother."

Quinn's eyes flick up to Sydney's, and then back to Cameron. Quinn takes his hand, and then smirks. "I'm Quinn, and I'm very, very gay."

"Oh." Cameron says, visibly deflating. Sydney catches Rachel near beaming and realizes she's doing the same. For Rachel, Sydney wonders if it's because of the ease at which Quinn is herself. For Sydney? Well, she thinks anytime her brother gets shot down hilarious.

"I believe Quinn and I have successfully completed our studies for today and are ready to venture out for dinner. Would you two like to join?" Rachel says.

Sydney catches Cameron's eyes, and he shrugs. She does the same. "Sure. It'll be fun."

Dinner is fun. Cameron purposefully flirts extra hard with Quinn, and Quinn's dry responses are enough to make everyone laugh. Afterwards, Rachel and Quinn head to the park for ice skating and roasted walnuts (they're Quinn's favorite). Sydney goes back to the dorm, Cameron following along with, as always, nowhere to be.

"Syd, you—" Cameron says.

"Don't call me that."

"Whatever. You have to tell me if Rachel and Quinn hookup because  _holy shit_."

"Don't be a pig."

"What? No! It's not that. Well, it is  _that_ , but also, come on, don't tell me you don't see it."

"See what?"

"The little touches, all the eye contact, all the flirting. Come on, it's totally there. They're both into each other."

"You don't even know what Rachel's sexual preference is," Sydney says.

"I travel the world, and see all types of people while doing all sorts of jobs. I know flirting when I see it."

"Yeah, okay," Sydney says, unconvinced.

Cameron sighs like it's the end of the world. "Just keep me posted."

"If I know where to find you."

* * *

It's cold. Not miserably so, but still cold enough to warrant a few layers. It makes Sydney miss the Rockies—even if she is just back from winter break in Denver. This is the first time she's accompanied Rachel to pick up Quinn from Grand Central Terminal, and Rachel is literally buzzing with energy. There's also a certain anxiety to her, a tension Sydney can't quite name. Regardless, it's exhausting just watching her.

Rachel talks about getting some coffee while they wait for Quinn's train. No doubt for some sort of distraction. Sydney counts it as a major victory when she manages to talk her down to hot chocolate.

The train is running late. Sydney's not surprised. It's Friday evening rush hour, but that doesn't stop Rachel from fretting. Sydney is just thankful that Quinn responds to Rachel's frantic texts promptly. It calms Rachel enough that they can have a proper conversation while they wait.

"So I haven't seen what's-his-face the two weeks we've been back at school…"

Rachel takes a final sip of her hot chocolate and tosses it in the nearby trashcan. She turns back around, brown eyes wide and expressive. "He wasn't anything. I know there is someone out there who is so much  _more_."

"There's nothing wrong with just dating someone for fun you know."

"I am well aware of that. Though you should know that I am more of the epic love type. I'm not sure if I do casual."

"So he wasn't an epic love?" Sydney can't help but cringe at using the words 'epic love.' Considering Rachel's dramatic nature, she is also not at all surprised at the use of it either.

"No. He definitely was not. He was relatively nice, smart, and handsome, and it was fun at the time. But it's hard trying to be with someone, even casually like that, when you're too busy wondering about that someone else who is so much more."

"So…" Sydney says hesitatingly. She can't help but think about what Cameron said about Rachel and Quinn. "Do you know who this someone else might be?

But even as she asks the probing question, there's a flash of blonde hair and Rachel takes off. Sydney might as well not even exist anymore. Instead, she watches as Rachel collides with Quinn. She can't see Rachel's face, but she can see how her shoulders tighten, bringing her body as close together with Quinn's as possible. And Quinn seems to melt into the embrace, cheek against Rachel's head, arms tight around her waist. All the bad evaporates away to leave the soul and fire behind.

Sydney wishes she had someone to embrace like that.

* * *

Rachel is visiting Quinn so Sydney spends her Friday evening lighting up with Glenn, Anna, and a few other friends in her room. Glenn says something asinine, and Anna pushes him. Weightless, he stumbles into Rachel's desk, knocking a few pictures down. Sydney giggles because it's funny, and Glenn has such a dirty mouth. Anna pushes him again until he lands into his new boyfriend's lap.

The next day, after kicking everyone out, Sydney looks over to Rachel's side of the room to see the pictures are still upended. It's easy enough to fix, and, to her relief, none of the frames are broken. There is something different, however. It takes her a minute to place, but the frame that used to hold a picture of Rachel and Finn now holds one of Rachel and Quinn.

* * *

Over President's Day weekend (no class on Monday!), Rachel invites Sydney to Stowe Mountain. Quinn is apparently good friends with some yuppie at Yale whose parents own a cabin at the Vermont ski resort. Okay, calling the friend a yuppie without ever having met him is a little unfair (even though his name is Kenton for god's sakes), especially when she's a friend of a friend of a friend being invited along, but what kind of family owns a place at a ski resort? Apparently Kenton is nice enough to let some random come along just because Quinn knows just how much she likes snowboarding.

She takes Metro North with Rachel on Friday afternoon and they load up into a car with Quinn and Kenton at the station. And while the car is a  _fucking_ Range Rover, Kenton is pleasant and genuine. Sydney swallows her jealously. After all, she's getting a free ride for a long weekend of snowboarding thanks to him.

They arrive late and spend the night drinking from Kenton's parents' liquor stored in the cabin. There are not enough beds, but Sydney is happy to take a couch. Rachel and Quinn get one of the bedrooms. They close the door behind them.

They hit the slopes early the next morning. Sydney coasts along the bunny slopes with Rachel and Quinn. She glides along on her borrowed snowboard while Rachel and Quinn stick with skis. Rachel has been skiing before, Quinn, however, has not. For being fairly athletic, Quinn, to be frank, sucks at skiing. That's more than enough entertainment for Sydney to make up for the lack of excitement that comes with the bunny slopes.

"Sydney, I swear, if you don't stop laughing…" Quinn says as she struggles to her feet. She manages to get back up, only for one of her legs to slide out from under her, sending her toppling back to the ground.

Sydney loses it completely then. It's just so strange to see Quinn—normally so graceful and put together—so out of her element. Rachel even giggles a little bit before she catches her self.

Quinn groans, lying back in the snow.

"You just have to go for it Quinn. Don't think about it too much," Sydney says once she's finally able to control her laughter. Quinn sits up, listening to her. There's a hill to their right. It's small and flat compared to what Sydney is used to, but it is steeper than what they are currently on. "Give this hill a shot. Follow what your body is telling you to do."

"Somehow I don't think that's how you're supposed to learn how to ski. They have skiing lessons for a reason you know," Quinn says.

Sydney smirks at her and jumps over the edge, banking to kick up some snow for show. Sydney stops on a dime at the bottom and looks back up at Quinn and Rachel. She swears Quinn is scowling at her so she waves in response. Then Rachel is talking and gesturing, and Quinn is nodding. Finally, Rachel pushes herself over the edge and glides down, meeting Sydney at the bottom with a sharp turn of her skis.

"I'm surprised you of all people are telling her just to go for it," Sydney says as they stare up at Quinn.

"Normally I completely support building up your ease and comfort. There's a reason you do scales to warm up your vocals for instance. However, at some point, you just have to take the plunge. Besides, we've been over the technical details about a dozen times now. If Quinn does not know what to do at this point, she's just being obstinate. In addition, this is a tame hill. There's no real harm that could occur that couldn't have happened already."

"I should have known you had your reasons," Sydney says.

Rachel's ignoring her now though, calling up to Quinn. "Come on Quinn! You'll be fine!"

"There she goes!" Sydney says. Quinn finally tips over the edge, heading straight down.

"Pizza Quinn! Remember to pizza your skis!" Rachel calls.

Quinn does, and it's all kinds of hilarious looking. She manages to slow her speed, but she's unable to stop. Rachel holds out her arms as Quinn collides into her. It's a fairly gentle pace, but Sydney still winces as they both hit the snow in a pile of winter gear, poles, and skis.

"You guys okay?" Sydney asks when neither of them moves after a moment. There's no answer, but she can clearly see that both of them are cognizant. Quinn's arms are tense, bracing herself above Rachel. They stare at each other, unmoving. And it's all such a cliché, yet Sydney still feels as if nothing else exists to them, as if she didn't exist in that moment. She clears her throat, and speaks again, clearly stressing the words. "You guys okay?"

Quinn startles, pushing herself off of Rachel, and then holds out her hand. Rachel takes it, and Quinn pulls her effortlessly to her feet.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I think Rachel took the brunt of it. Are you okay Rach?" Quinn says. Then her eyes fall back on Rachel, warm and concerned. Rachel's looking back, and, once again, Sydney feels as if she might as well not exist.

She leaves Rachel and Quinn after some time because the black diamonds are calling her. And even though Quinn is getting increasingly comfortable on her skis, she's definitely not ready for the hardest slopes yet. She runs into Kenton and a couple of the other Yale students on the lift, and she spends the afternoon racing them down the mountain. She beats Kenton to the bottom, and he laughs and laughs, and Sydney thinks he's an okay guy (you know, despite being a yuppie). She forgets all about Rachel and Quinn until they stumble into the cabin some time after ten, breathless and windswept. They close the bedroom door behind them, and this time Sydney lets her thoughts wonder to what Cameron said before winter break. But then Kenton is telling her she doesn't have to sleep on the couch, and she says, "Okay. But no funny stuff. I'm not that kind of girl, and I don't even know you."

She thinks she certainly could get to know him.

* * *

Shortly before spring break, Sydney is walking back to her dorm from her work-study at the library. She passes the walk talking with Kenton on her phone, and says goodbye to him as she reaches her floor. Inside her dorm, she finds Rachel on her bed watching a movie on her laptop with a guy. He's tall and muscular with sandy blonde hair. This time Sydney's not jealous. She waves hello, and they both return the greeting.

Rachel's phone rings as Sydney sets her stuff down, and she knows the ringtone is Quinn's. She watches as Rachel's face lights up with a smile. She watches as Rachel apologizes to the guy. And she watches as Rachel answers the phone.

"Quinn! Hi!"

Sydney thinks Quinn's name means everything.

* * *

A couple of weeks after spring break, Sydney has a huge paper due for her comparative literature class and spends her whole weekend in the library. It's miserable. Quinn's visiting for the weekend, but she doesn't see either of Rachel or Quinn until she stumbles into the dorm late at night. She finishes the paper late Sunday afternoon, and all she wants to do to celebrate is crawl into bed and call Kenton.

She heads back to the dorm, her steps lighter than they've been all week. She reaches her floor, and, as always on a Sunday, it's quiet. Every other day, her floor is loud and lively, but on Sunday, the girls on her floor spend their time cramming for the week and recovering from weekend parties.

She waves to a couple of girls in their rooms as she makes her way down the hall. There's music playing from her room, something soft and acoustic edging out from the halfway opened door. Sydney turns the corner, hand on the door to push it all the way open, and stops.

Rachel and Quinn are kissing inside. They're pressed together, bodies sharing space as if they can meld into one if they try hard enough. Rachel's hands are around Quinn's neck, and Quinn's hands clench around Rachel's waist, pulling the fabric of her shirt. It's intimate and special and beautiful and consuming. It makes Sydney's heart ache in all the right ways.

She pulls back, unwilling to interrupt and deciding that she can talk to Kenton just fine in the floor lounge.

* * *

Sydney accompanies Rachel to New Haven over Easter weekend to go to a Sunday service with Quinn and Kenton. She hasn't been to church since she was small, but this place is warm and welcoming. While Sydney doubts she'd ever be ready to commit herself to Christianity, she can respect this particular kind of place where the people don't look twice at the two guys holding hands in front of them.

When Quinn and Rachel discretely hold hands a moment later, Sydney can't keep the smile off her face. Kenton notices too, and when he does, he can't stop smiling either. Sydney decides she loves him in that moment.

* * *

"Quinn almost died last year."

That certainly grabs her attention. Sydney swivels away from her laptop. "What?"

"The year before that, she had a breakdown. And the year before that, she had a baby."

Sydney feels faint. She wants to say something serious, but all that comes out of her mouth is "You're shitting me."

But Rachel's not done. "Last year, I made a huge mistake and almost married my high school boyfriend. The year before that, I chased after him even after Quinn told me I was meant for so much more. And the year before that, my birth mother adopted Quinn's baby."

Some of that news is old, but some is new, and it all still rocks Sydney's world. " _Fuck_. Are you sure you're not from some sort of teen soap opera?"

"I'm telling you all of this because you're one of my best friends. I trust you, and Quinn trusts you. I want to tell you the story of me and Quinn. It's about two scared and oblivious girls who were meant for so much more than the small town they grew up in, and in the end, they figured it out. They got it right. Sydney…" Rachel hesitates, and Sydney halfway wonders if she's adding the dramatic pause on purpose for tension. "I'm in love with Quinn."

Sydney only just barely resists rolling her eyes. "I know that."

Rachel blinks twice. "You do?"

"Yeah, you two aren't very subtle you know?"

"Really? I could have sworn—"

"Plus I caught you two making out about a month ago. Maybe next time you should close the door."

Rachel blushes. "Oh goodness, that's terribly embarrassing."

"Nah, don't be embarrassed. And thanks, you know, for sharing this with me. I know it's not easy."

"It's taken Quinn and I quite the journey to get to this point. Would you still like to hear about it?"

"Of course. I might not be as gossipy as Anna, but I do appreciate a good story."

* * *

Quinn visits the night Rachel finishes her finals, and three days before Rachel is set to leave for home. Sydney rides with her on the train from New Haven, having spent the past two nights with Kenton. She has one more final. It's in two days, and she kind of wishes she could bring herself to care more about it. It's just hard to stay focused when she has so much time before her last final. Quinn seems distracted the entire way, so Sydney tries to get a bit of studying accomplished instead. She finds herself staring out the window more often than not.

Rachel is in the middle of her final when they arrive in New York so Sydney escorts them to the dorm herself. She decides she doesn't feel like studying immediately upon getting home. It's certainly not a hard decision to make. She texts Glenn and Anna, and they both agree to go out for dinner, and then have a study session in Anna's room. She makes them both swear to leave the pot behind because she actually does want to get some studying in.

She leaves her room, arms full of notes, as Rachel arrives, but Rachel only has eyes for Quinn who similarly lights up. Sydney fake-gags as they embrace. They ignore her completely so she's determined to get in a parting shot. "Use protection!" she calls, as she closes the door behind her for good measure.

She smirks to herself as she walks over to meet up with Anna and Glenn. After dinner, they set up a study space in Anna's room. Truthfully, they spend more time talking than studying, and when Sydney finally tells herself she has to get to business, she realizes she left one of her class books in her room.

She heads back down the hallway and finds the door is still closed. Her hand closes around doorknob, and she feels the foreign object almost immediately. She pulls back and looks down to see a hair tie. She stares at it for a moment, unsure of its significance. What it means actually hits her suddenly a heartbeat later, and a smile spreads across her face.

She's happy for them. She really is. Yet she can't help but want to tease Rachel too so she digs her phone out of her pocket to send a harmless text or two to her roommate. As it turns out, she has an unread message from Rachel. She checks it first, figuring that it's the polite thing to do.

" _Sydney, I'm sorry about locking you out, but this moment between Quinn and I has been building for a long time. If you need something from the room, please send me a text, but if you could wait till after 11, I'll forever be in your debt. You are more than welcome to tease me later. Thank you for being a great roommate, but more than that, thank you for being a good friend."_

She pockets her phone. There will be plenty of time to tease Rachel later. Sydney's smile doesn't leave her face as she turns around and walks back to Anna's room. She doesn't really need that book right now anyway.

**End**


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